For Release at 5:30 pm EST, Sunday Oct. 29, 2000
For More Information, ContactKelley Sheahan (404) 633-3777 until Oct. 26(215) 418-2370 Oct. 28 – Nov. 2[email protected]
Smoking May Increase Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis may join heart disease and lung cancer as diseases for which cigarette smoking increases risk, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting Oct. 29 – Nov. 2 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Researchers studied records of more than 30,000 women enrolled in the Iowa Women’s Health Study since 1986. They found statistically significant correlations between the incidence of elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis and the number of cigarettes smoked per day and duration of smoking. Current smokers’ risk of developing the disease was nearly twice that of nonsmokers. Former smokers’ risk appears to be lower than that of current smokers, but higher than that of people who never smoked.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that affects 1 percent of the adult population. Although not fatal, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, damage, and loss of function in many joints as well as inflammation in other body organs. More than 75 percent of cases occur in women. It usually develops during childbearing years but can also begin in late adulthood.
"To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate an association between cigarette smoking and the development of elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis among women," said lead investigator Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc ([email protected]), of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "These results, in conjunction with prior studies of younger RA cohorts, suggest that abstinence from smoking should be advocated as an important modifiable preventive measure for rheumatoid arthritis."
The American College of Rheumatology is the professional organization for rheumatologists and health professionals who share a dedication to healing, preventing disability and curing arthritis and related rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For more information on the ACR’s annual meeting, see www.rheumatology.org
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